So here comes another I'm thinking of switching thread. I'm really excited about the prospect of coming to Windows phone. I have been ever seen the os debuted. There is something about it. The modern UI is elegant, sleek, and unique. I just wish people would give it the fair chance and respect it deserves because to me Microsoft took a chance and did something different, that in my opinion makes every other os feel stagnant and outdated. Sure it's missing many core apps (which like most others, is my main reservation about switching), but I still feel there is plenty to bring me over. The apps will continue to grow. My only fear is should i wait until they do? I feel like i'll be taking 2 steps forward and 1 back. Everything else is there for me. I just don't want to be missing out on core functionality and apps that i'm used to. At the same time, a lot of functionality is built into the os, such as social integration and I truly love the fact I don't need to rely on third party apps.

While i do have a robust app collection on the iphone, I still feel app quantity to a degree is highly overrated. I'll take the quality over quantity argument any day of the week. Also disappointing is the severe lack of Google integration. Hopefully, this will substantially improve over time. You would think it has to at some point. I'm on Verizon so i think i'm going to go with the Lumia if I do make the switch. I've watched as many videos and read as many reviews as i can stand on windows phone 8, but It's hard to judge bc I think the tech sites just don't get it. All they care about is the app situation. Everything else for the most part has seemingly glowing comments for the most part. I guarantee if it did have an app store comparable to ios or android, they would be singing a very different tune. It is a fair argument, however I do think everything else wp8 offers should be given more consideration. I also hate the fact that everyone says it's an OS for smartphone newbies. Just because it has a clean simple look doesn't mean it has nothing to offer the advanced user.

It's a major move for myself being that I am a pretty dedicated Mac guy, also having used the iphone since it debuted in 2007. But a fanboy I am not, and when I recognize something that's good my interest is piqued. And WP8 looks pretty darn good to me. I am absolutely impressed. I've just grown bored with iOS and the iphone. And now that i'm on Ios 7 i'm even more bored. Although unfinished, it feels like a paint job (for the worse i might add) with some added functionality. I do appreciate some additions, but there is just not enough there to keep me from feeling it's still stale. Android is not under consideration as i personally find it to be sloppy and fragmented. It has gotten better but still not anywhere near as polished as I like. So enough of my rant, I just wanted to see what this great community has to say about the OS to make me feel ok about switching and if I should. Any iphone transplants that can give me some insight? Does windows play nicely with Macs in terms of syncing?

You could always look on the windowsphone website for the apps that you're most concerned about to see if they are there. I moved from an iPhone 3gs to lumia 900. I was very happy even though, I don't have wp8 I would recommend it. Lack of google services is a downer but I moved as much as I could to MS services. The UI is definitely a breath of fresh air. I would definitely go for the 928 cuz of the awesome camera, especially in lowlight.

If I were you I'd just wait until ios7. It looks a lot like WP and all the cool exclusive features from WP seem to be making the jump to ios anyway.

I am already using ios 7. Yes it's beta but I am quite disappointed as stated. It's a step sideways and underneath the new aesthetics, it's largely the same phone i've been using for the past 6 years. Simply put It's stale. Yes they clearly ripped some features off from WP8 but they are not done as elegantly in my opinion.

By core apps i don't necessarily mean popular but essential to me I should say. As i mentioned definitely the google stuff, especially maps. I know about nokia maps and it'll probably be fine for the most part, but i'd like to have an alternative option at least from google. Some calendar apps i use such as sunrise or tempo. Vine, Scramble with friends, most financial apps are non-existant like seeking alpha, credit karma, manilla, etc. Big omission of financial apps for me. at least chase is there for me. Flipboard is another huge one, Bleacher report, Monster fantasy sports, ness. Those are the absolute majors and there are some smaller ones as well, that i thoroughly enjoy but use a lot less often. So while i can deal without the sheer number of apps, there are still many I use regularly that may be tough to give up. It sucks, because that is the only thing holding me back. I'm certain I'd already be on WP8 if it had them. I like everything else about the os much much more. I suppose the one thing that I can do is always get an ipad mini or something to still have my ios fix and have the best of both.

I'm just surprised I don't have people on here saying come over, you won't miss Ios. You don't know what you're missing out on in WP8. But for some reason it feels like the opposite.

By core apps i don't necessarily mean popular but essential to me I should say. As i mentioned definitely the google stuff, especially maps. I know about nokia maps and it'll probably be fine for the most part, but i'd like to have an alternative option at least from google. Some calendar apps i use such as sunrise or tempo. Vine, Scramble with friends, most financial apps are non-existant like seeking alpha, credit karma, manilla, etc. Big omission of financial apps for me. at least chase is there for me. Flipboard is another huge one, Bleacher report, Monster fantasy sports, ness. Those are the absolute majors and there are some smaller ones as well, that i thoroughly enjoy but use a lot less often. So while i can deal without the sheer number of apps, there are still many I use regularly that may be tough to give up. It sucks, because that is the only thing holding me back. I'm certain I'd already be on WP8 if it had them. I like everything else about the os much much more. I suppose the one thing that I can do is always get an ipad mini or something to still have my ios fix and have the best of both.

I'm just surprised I don't have people on here saying come over, you won't miss Ios. You don't know what you're missing out on in WP8. But for some reason it feels like the opposite.

That's because you're not mentioning specific apps and ultimately it will be your decision to switch.

I keep going between the two phones, which is really driving me crazy. Its little things that WP just doesn't nail down strongly enough. Based in the latest WP8 on a Lumia 920 (pre-gdr2):

Built in timer/stopwatch/alarm -WP has alarms, but I use this all the time and often by voice, and its clunky when I can't do it.

Quick focused pictures without messing with settings. My Lumia can take fantastic photos as long as I take my time and let it get focused in the way I want it to be. I feel the touch to focus+snap method on the iPhone gives me the result I wanted faster and more consistently without a number of retakes.

Battery consistency: WP at times seems to eat the battery inexplicably fast even if I back out of running apps, where the iPhone seems smoother.

Some apps aren't as full-featured as on IOS, for example Kindle in iOS includes periodicals and notes where WP only gets bookmarks. Audible player inexplicably restarts books and relaunches instead if starting where I left off.

There is no system wide voice dictation or orientation lock.

And worst of all, (back to) battery drain: audible and maps and Bluetooth streaming all seem to deplete the battery in the car faster than it can charge, so over a long drive, I'm losing charge rather than even keeping up.

WP though also has a number of bright sides:

The predictive text keyboard is fantastic.

The customizable start screen/live tiles are the best way of managing dynamic needs. For example, when I go on a trip, I reorder my tiles to put my trip agenda, maps, notes right up top and move my "work screen" to the bottom or even off. When I'm working and need to keep a note handy, I pin it to the start screen while I need it. The workflow on the phone is just the best that way.

The built in Bing search/vision is excellent and I use it all the time too.

There's a lot more to say like this, but I really need another cup of coffee before I could go on any more.

It's a great system, still getting better, but it isn't quite the clear winner for me yet.

This keeps coming up and I often wonder how much people who want to switch actually look into the situation prior to switching. Being honest here's the thing. If you have specific apps that you use regularly you should check (Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United Kingdom)) to see if there are either WP versions or third party apps you'll be happy with. That's the situation of WP at this moment in regards to apps.

If you are a user of niche apps it's unlikely that they're available on WP.

As for Google services. Considering the constant disputes between MS and Google you're better off not using Google services. Yes we have email support, yes there are third party apps but being honest if you want the best experience with your phone go full on WP.

Most importantly investigate the phone prior to getting one and ensure you're happy with it's limitations. Research!

Last and this is my opinion. Wait until next year to get a phone. Hopefully (and I'm stressing this), a lot of the features that are missing on WP currently will be implemented in the next OS update. If you want to check WP out I suggest buying a cheap WP, like the 520 and see if it suits your needs fully.

I love WP8. I never used more than 10-12 apps on my old iphone and those same 10-12 apps are also available in wp8 (evernote,teamviewer,viber,skype,reddit client,gps app,whatsapp,twitter,facebook,splashtop..)

I never used nor will I ever use my mobile phone to play games.

The fact that you can pin a contact to the start screen or pin an artist or playlist from the music app or even a "New note" shortcut from evernote REALLY surprised me.

I love the UI and the smoothness feels like iOS used to feel back in the apple golden age. I find the UI a lot prettier also.

The OS lacks some basic stuff however like there's no way to set static ip for non-dhcp wifi connections.

I really loved the OS, also the nokia drive app is the fastest gps app I've ever used.

Now on the hardware side I'm not as satisfied as I was from the OS. The nokia 920 and although it's listed as heavy it doesn't feel that way. I don't really like the camera however. In the auto settings and during the day the galaxy S4 shots I took at the same time look much better. I don't doubt that if you're start messing with the camera settings you'll be able to take some nice photos but I hate messing with settings.

This keeps coming up and I often wonder how much people who want to switch actually look into the situation prior to switching. Being honest here's the thing. If you have specific apps that you use regularly you should check (Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United Kingdom)) to see if there are either WP versions or third party apps you'll be happy with. That's the situation of WP at this moment in regards to apps.

If you are a user of niche apps it's unlikely that they're available on WP.

As for Google services. Considering the constant disputes between MS and Google you're better off not using Google services. Yes we have email support, yes there are third party apps but being honest if you want the best experience with your phone go full on WP.

Most importantly investigate the phone prior to getting one and ensure you're happy with it's limitations. Research!

Last and this is my opinion. Wait until next year to get a phone. Hopefully (and I'm stressing this), a lot of the features that are missing on WP currently will be implemented in the next OS update. If you want to check WP out I suggest buying a cheap WP, like the 520 and see if it suits your needs fully. .

Thanks for the feedback. Believe me I have certainly done the research. That's why i'm at the final stages and came on here to ask opinions before i make the switch. You are right. I will certainly be missing niche apps, without a doubt. I don't buy phones on contract, I am lucky enough to still have true unlimited data with Verizon. That is factoring in to my buying decision, as I want to sell the iphone with ios7 on it before the 5s comes out so I can maximize my profit on the phone. As soon as the new one comes out, the 5's value will drop immediately. Worse comes to worse i can buy the lumia keep it for a couple of weeks and see if it works. And if it does the job for the most part, i can sell the iphone and pick up an ipad mini all for about the same price i sell my iphone for. i thought the 8.1 update was coming out this year, no?

The only thing that bugs me about the apps i suppose is I know it takes time to get that built up. And it seems many people don't want to give the marketplace time to do that. It took apple time, and it certainly took android time. I remember when android came out. It was an absolute piece of junk on every level in my opinion. It took a long long time to get where it's at, and I still think it has gaping flaws and feels unpolished. Now the content is there. But the UI i still cannot stand.

In essence you're right. Only i can make the decision. I'm probably going to pick up the phone after work today. I'll certainly let the community know of my experience when i've had time to settle in with the phone.

I love WP8. I never used more than 10-12 apps on my old iphone and those same 10-12 apps are also available in wp8 (evernote,teamviewer,viber,skype,reddit client,gps app,whatsapp,twitter,facebook,splashtop..)

I never used nor will I ever use my mobile phone to play games.

The fact that you can pin a contact to the start screen or pin an artist or playlist from the music app or even a "New note" shortcut from evernote REALLY surprised me.

I love the UI and the smoothness feels like iOS used to feel back in the apple golden age. I find the UI a lot prettier also.

The OS lacks some basic stuff however like there's no way to set static ip for non-dhcp wifi connections.

I really loved the OS, also the nokia drive app is the fastest gps app I've ever used.

Now on the hardware side I'm not as satisfied as I was from the OS. The nokia 920 and although it's listed as heavy it doesn't feel that way. I don't really like the camera however. In the auto settings and during the day the galaxy S4 shots I took at the same time look much better. I don't doubt that if you're start messing with the camera settings you'll be able to take some nice photos but I hate messing with settings.

I also do not play games on my phone or anywhere else really for that matter. But do enjoy some simple word games. So that's not really a big deal. I completely agree about the UI. It's gorgeous. and offers something different. That's part of what's so attractive about windows. I guess with anything else i've just gotten bored with something i've used for a while, and am going to try and make a change. Hopefully it will meet my needs

I got a Lumia 920 from iPhone 4S and it was a disastrous experience and I sold it within a month to get an iPhone 5. Either there were no apps or games, or the apps that were on Windows Phone were a shadow of their iOS counterpart. Everything from WhatsApp to Facebook to Skype is pure crap on Windows Phone. You said you want quality over quantity, you won't find any on Windows Phone. It's a good OS with a lot of potential, but the apps are really bogging it down

I'm just surprised I don't have people on here saying come over, you won't miss Ios. You don't know what you're missing out on in WP8. But for some reason it feels like the opposite.

You'll certainly find some cheerleaders but I think a lot of folks here would be inclined to just let the OS and the hardware speak for itself. If we tried to exhort every passerby to jump onto this ship we'd soon be overrun with mutineers. Better to let people make the switch on their own, with eyes wide open. Besides, it sounds like you already have some notion of what you're missing out on; and we're smart enough to know that you probably will miss iOS at times.

That said, I'll tell you that I've been quite happy since the switch and if you're the intrepid sort I encourage you to try it out. I was tired of the "grid of icons" approach, and tired of the hardware. I still think the iPhone 4 was an amazing breakthrough device (and it compares favorably to most phones even now), and I marvel at how thin and light and well-built the iPhone 5 is. But we all want a little diversity, a little strange if you will.

Originally Posted by Dre180

By core apps i don't necessarily mean popular but essential to me I should say.

Okay, this is the part where I have to drop the hammer. There is no such thing as an "essential" app. My recommendation to you would be this: Forget about the iPhone. Forget about iOS. Forget everything you know, or you think you know. Start fresh. Do not try to replicate your old smartphone existence. You are looking to switch because you feel bored, or constrained. Do not bring that baggage with you. It's like taking your new girlfriend or boyfriend to all of the same places you went with your ex, or watching the same movies and listening to the same albums that you and your ex discovered together. The whole point is to start anew.

Get your shiny new device and go explore. Sure, transfer your contacts and add your email and social networking accounts; but don't rush to duplicate your old mobile life. Buy the WP Central app and keep an eye on what's happening. Engage with the community and figure out what kinds of apps and experiences are out there to enjoy. If you're not willing or able to change then you're going to have a rough go of it.

I'll share an example: I'm a podcast fan. Big time. I probably listen to 20 hours worth of podcasts each week, even though I have no commute. Making coffee in the morning? Podcast time. Walking the dog? Podcast time. Brushing my teeth before bed? Podcast time (while reading WPC). Yard work, house-work, changing the baby, eating breakfast- it is all podcast time to me. I probably need an intervention. Anyway, I loved Instacast on iOS. It was like an old friend. I had all of my feeds set up and I could navigate that app blindfolded. When I got my Lumia 920 in November I decided to keep my old iPhone for a few days while I found a new podcasting app and set up my feeds. The holidays came and went. Days stretched into weeks into months. I couldn't let go. I tried a dozen apps but nothing else worked exactly like Instacast. I pleaded with the dev to consider a WP8 port. I was carrying two phones everywhere with me. Finally, I went away for a week and forgot the iPhone charger at home. I nursed it for as long as I could, turning down the screen and killing all other processes. It died after less than 48 hours. So I begrudgingly re-installed Podcast Lounge on my 920 and added a few feeds to get me through the trip. After a few days I realized I was fine. It was different, but I grew to like it. I enjoyed not carrying an extra phone, not worrying about charging and maintaining it. That was weeks ago and I haven't gone back. I don't miss it.

Focus on all the things you can do. Enjoy the process of discovery. For me, a lot of the enjoyment has just been seeing new things coming along; sharing in the excitement of something that is still relatively new and still developing.

The only thing that bugs me about the apps i suppose is I know it takes time to get that built up. And it seems many people don't want to give the marketplace time to do that. It took apple time, and it certainly took android time. I remember when android came out. It was an absolute piece of junk on every level in my opinion. It took a long long time to get where it's at, and I still think it has gaping flaws and feels unpolished. Now the content is there. But the UI i still cannot stand.

The thing you're missing here is that there has been flat our refusal from some companies to even consider making WP apps. Yes, apps take time but with the ability to port apps, though not perfectly to WP style, it shouldn't be taking as long as it used to. As for niche apps I highly doubt any will come. I'm a lover of coffee and here in the UK there's a great coffee app on iOS and the coffee industry is full of iPhone lovers. The company that made the app is only just considering releasing for Android, WP isn't even on the radar. This is the issue we currently have. WP needs a user base to make it get noticed by developers.

That's only half the issue though. The other half is having a platform that people want to stick to. Aside from the app issue there are many other issues with the OS. Things in my eyes and in the eyes of many, should been fixed months ago. That and the lack of 'similar' features to other phones (not even talking smart here) would have been a good idea.

As many people will point out to you. You have to accept WP as is to avoid being annoyed with it. You either love it for what it is or you'll end up being disappointed. This is WP.

I've just jumped from an iPhone 5 to a Lumia 520. I'm saving a small fortune every months and I'm loving the Lumia.

The obvious downside is the MS app store but I expect (hope) to see this improving in the coming months. All the main apps I use are there, the missing apps are just ones that it would be nice to have. The Lumia benefits hugely from Nokia's own apps like Nokia Radio and Drive, they are fantastic.

It doesn't feel like a downgrade either despite going from a top of the range iPhone to a bottom of the range Lumia. The Lumia is built well enough and is quick enough to keep me happy. Plus the £40 a month saving is nice.

The thing you're missing here is that there has been flat our refusal from some companies to even consider making WP apps. Yes, apps take time but with the ability to port apps, though not perfectly to WP style, it shouldn't be taking as long as it used to. As for niche apps I highly doubt any will come. I'm a lover of coffee and here in the UK there's a great coffee app on iOS and the coffee industry is full of iPhone lovers. The company that made the app is only just considering releasing for Android, WP isn't even on the radar. This is the issue we currently have. WP needs a user base to make it get noticed by developers..

That is a very fair point, one i happen to agree with. What's worse is the fact app developers dont wanna develop for wp, and consumers don't wanna buy because lack of apps. The apps NEED to come first. Whatever microsoft has to do to make that happen they must. If they have to overpay they should. The only way people will switch is the 3rd party apps.

I do have to disagree with not getting niche apps in the long run. If they can build a large enough userbase, those imo will absolutely come. but as you said you need the people first.

I got a Lumia 920 from iPhone 4S and it was a disastrous experience and I sold it within a month to get an iPhone 5. Either there were no apps or games, or the apps that were on Windows Phone were a shadow of their iOS counterpart. Everything from WhatsApp to Facebook to Skype is pure crap on Windows Phone. You said you want quality over quantity, you won't find any on Windows Phone. It's a good OS with a lot of potential, but the apps are really bogging it down

Give yourself some credit; you hung in there for two months, didn't you? I just wonder why it is that months after you moved on you're still hanging around to take shots and make hyperbolic comments about how there are "no apps or games" and "everything" is "pure crap".

p.s. The apps you mention have all been updated. Facebook Beta has gotten several bumps, WhatsApp has a large update coming soon and Skype will likely see a another upgrade or deeper integration with one of the coming OS updates (more likely GDR3 or WP Blue than GDR2).

That is a very fair point, one i happen to agree with. What's worse is the fact app developers dont wanna develop for wp, and consumers don't wanna buy because lack of apps. The apps NEED to come first. Whatever microsoft has to do to make that happen they must. If they have to overpay they should. The only way people will switch is the 3rd party apps.

I do have to disagree with not getting niche apps in the long run. If they can build a large enough userbase, those imo will absolutely come. but as you said you need the people first.

The niche app is a subject for debate of course but most devs go iOS then Android then usually stop. They're not considering BB or WP. Most are happy to stick to purely iOS simply because they know Android users are not keen to part with their money. Though WP users are more like iOS users in this respect the problem is that there are simply not enough user base for devs to consider it.

I've been a Apple guy for years now and I made the switch to WP8 as soon as the 920 came out in Nov( I had had an iPhone for the previous 3 years). I really haven't had many issues. I've been able to get my iTunes library to sync, I have almost all the same apps I had when I had my iPhone, and I enjoy it much more than iOS for the Live Tiles alone. There is a slight learning curve and there are some times when you'll wish certain setting didn't take so many clicks and swipes to get to, but switching to WP is very easy overall.

It should be noted if you have an Xbox you're going to love WP8. The Xbox Music integration is slick and the ability to gain achievements on the go is pretty cool too. Also, Hubs are another fantastic part of WP. I love going to my Games Hub and seeing a list of all my games, with the last three that I've played at the top. The Music + Video Hub keeps track of things you've watched or listened to so if you need to reference them later, maybe to show or share with a friend, they will be there so you don't have to go back and dig through apps to find them.

My buddy just got the 928 on Verizon and I'm a little jealous. It's a little lighter and the screen has a much better picture. Hopefully, that's the one you get. The 822 is going to be quite a step down for you from an iPhone.

Oh, yeah. I almost forgot to tell you. Google sucks! Don't worry about the lack of integration now. Most of their stuff can be accessed through IE so you don't really need dedicated apps.